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By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Kadirgamar Umamaheswaran alias Muhunthan the Peoples Liberation Organization of
Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) leader had recognized the political animal that was Sivaram in the
mid - eighties itself. So he was entrusted a task that involved a lot of clandestine activity in
Southern Sri Lanka. SR's Southern assignment was not gathering intelligence or planning
destruction but to identify, seek and build rapport with "nesasakthigal" (friendly forces) in
the South.
Umamaheswaran was a man of grandiose ambition hoping to attain several often
contradictory goals simultaneously. The writer - poet VIS jayapalan who was associated
with the PLOTE in the eighties once described Uma as a "Man who wanted to catch ten
butterflies with his ten fingers at the same time". There was a joke going around New Delhi
circles at one time about the shopping list Uma had submitted to the Indian government.
These included among other things inter - continental ballistic missiles.
The PLOTE also adopted a flawed politico - military approach that led to its decline.
Instead of conducting any military operations the PLOTE conserved itself for a widespread
military campaign to rout the enemy. Much political work was to be done in the meantime to
indoctrinate and mobilize the masses. This policy also entailed establishing links with like
minded Southern elements. The Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front under
Padmanabha also tried like the PLOTE to establish links with the progressive forces in the
South.
It was this strategy which made Umamaheswaran authorize Sivaram to establish Southern
links. This resulted in Sivaram moving about in Colombo, its suburbs and some urban
areas in the Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North - Western and Uva provinces
incognito. He interacted with trade unionists, academics, intellectuals, politicians, media
persons, student activists etc of a progressive hue in this venture.
A break away faction of the SLFP led by Vijaya Kumaratunga and Chandrika Bandaranaike
Kumaratunga had formed the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya. Both Vijaya and Chandrika
along with Ossie went to Madras and met Tamil militant leaders including Umamaheswaran.
This led to greater rapport between the PLOTE and SLMP. The fall - out from this
connection was the PLOTE being accommodated in a house belonging to Vijaya. There
was also a time when Sivaram had easy access to Vijaya and Chandrika. Some PLOTE
youths even served as Vijayas unofficial bodyguards. So great was Sivarams clout with
Vijaya that he was even able to procure a safe house through him for Dayan Jayatilleke
when he was evading arrest.
Ironically the PLOTE was able to maintain links with the JVP - which ultimately killed Vijay -
also at this point of time. As stated earlier the personal relationship between Upatissa
Gamanayake and Manickam Thasan was the crucial link initially. Thereafter the PLOTE
and JVP began moving closer. Sivaram was a key figure in all this and met Rohana
Wijeyweera clandestinely quite a few times.
One consequence of all this was that the PLOTE (and EPRLF) trained some Sinhala
youths in basic military technique in Sri Lanka and India. Though the PLOTE never
undertook any major military enterprise there was no dearth of skilled personnel in the
movement. It is said that some of the earlier JVP cadre in the eighties also got trained by
the PLOTE.
The PLOTE also maintained links with the Marxist - Leninist armed groups - loosely called
Naxalites - of India. Sivaram was part of this effort too. He traveled about widely. One
experience Sivaram cherished was attending a Peoples War Conclave in the jungles of
Andhra Pradesh where he met the legendary revolutionary Kondapalli Seetharamaiya.
SR also met with some of the ardent Tamil ultra - nationalists of Tamil Nadu. Many of them
were in the Dravida Kazhagham or it’s off - shoots. A few were outside the original
Dravidian movement. Many of them had not abandoned the Tamil Nadu separatist goal but
were lying low for want of impetus. The rise of the Eelam militant movement and its armed
struggle provided these sections a revivalist fillip.
Ultimately most of these groups aligned with the LTTE perceiving Pirapakaran as the
logical successor to "periyar" (EV Ramaswamy Naicker). There was however a time when
these groups had a soft corner for the PLOTE too. "Paavalar" Perunchithiranaar for
instance had a personal rapport with Umamaheswaran. The Tamil Nadu Liberation Army
led by Thamilarasan who was stoned to death by an enraged mob after a botched bank
robbery at Ponparappi also has PLOTE connections.
It is interesting to note that of all the Eelam liberation movements it was the PLOTE which
maintained links with both the ultra - Tamil nationalists as well as the Tamil Marxist -
Leninist naxalites frequenting the lands north of Cauveri river. Both sections wanted Tamil
Nadu to separate but for different reasons. While the LTTE had links with the Tamil ultras
the EPRLF had connections with the Naxalites. The PLOTE however cultivated both. This
enabled Sivaram to interact with several :fringe: sections of this type. His accounts of this
experience were fascinating.
The PLOTE however was always suspect in the eyes of New Delhi. Though it had the
largest number of members India was reluctant to back it. One reason for this was the
PLOTE coming out with the publication "Vangam Thantha Paadam? (the lesson taught by
Bengal" in the early eighties. This related the Indian role in the birth of Bangla Desh . The
book depicted India in a negative light and forewarned Sri Lankan Tamils of India’s ulterior
motives and likely betrayal in the future.
The Indians were furious. This action by the PLOTE was a political "Faux Pas" as it
alienated New Delhi. This blunder along with PLOTE cultivating links with separatist and
Naxalite elements rendered it eternally suspect in New Delhi eyes. So much was this
bitterness that the PLOTE ship carrying arms was seized and arms confiscated. The
largest Tamil organization was practically impotent and this led to gradual self -
destruction. India also succeeded in infiltrating the PLOTE through people like Aathavan
just as Colombo did through Shirley.
Sivaram was not responsible for the Bengal lesson book blunder. He was one of those in
the PLOTE who criticized it later. After the PLOTE came "surfaced" legitimately after the
Indo - Lanka accord it was Sivarams lot to cultivate a better relationship with India. This he
did slowly and steadily. He got very close to Indian diplomats and "others" pretending to be
diplomats. This helped the PLOTE too. But the entire set up suffered a nasty jolt when the
PLOTE tried to "invade" Maldives Island. Despite his closeness to Umamaheswaran
Sivaram claimed that he was not in the know of this ill- fated venture. Ultimately the
consequences of this abortive attempt resulted in Umamaheswaran being assassinated by
four PLOTE cadres.
Ummaheswaran who believed in dispersing his eggs in as many baskets as possible also
maintained some links with "Colombo" the arch - enemy after 1985. The PLOTE was left
out of the four party (LTTE, TELO, EPRLF,EROS) Eelam National Liberation Front. India
was cold - shouldering it. So the PLOTE was ripe for some deft plucking. It was left to Sri
Lankas deputy High - Commissioner in Madras Tissa Jayakkody to woo the PLOTE. It is
well - known that Jayakkody was serving in a "junior" capacity as Deputy High -
Commissioner to engage in "extra - diplomatic work".
One of his successes was the PLOTE. This move had the approval of former National
Security Minister Lalith Athulathmudali. Given the misapprehensions entertained by
Colombo about India’s role in Sri Lanka at that time Lalith thought that the PLOTE could be
used as a fifth column if and when New Delhi set up "Tamil Eelam" as feared. This move
was accelerated after the Indian Air drop of June 4th 1987.
Though Sivaram was not involved in any way with the initial "connection" engineered
through Jayakkody subsequently SR too became a key player in this arrangement. He did
meet Athulathmudali personally and also Jayakkody. The idea was for the PLOTE to
establish jungle camps in Wilpattu, Yala, Kumana and the jungles of Wanni with covert
logistical support from Colombo. The PLOTE was then expected to launch a guerilla
campaign against the "occupying" Indian army and its perceived lackey the LTTE.
Supreme irony!
Sivaram was on a PLOTE team that toured Yala, Wilpattu and Kumana to scout around for
possible campsites. SR himself had hopes of being commandant of such a camp. Two
things happened. Some PLOTE cadres killed Policemen and Forest rangers at Wilpattu
and pretended that they were not responsible. When Lalith discovered this he was furious
and put the project on hold. The second was that the LTTE itself turned against New Delhi
and war erupted. With this dramatic turn the tigers and Indians were battling it out. There
was no need for the PLOTE project. It was abandoned. History may have been different if
this plan had gone through.
In a new and changed political climate the JVP and its front organization Desapremi
Vyaparaya commenced an anti - Indian campaign. It was during this phase that the PLOTE
got very close to the JVP. One important link in this relationship was Sivaram himself. It was
a political task set him by his leader to establish Southern links. apart from the JVP
Sivaram cultivated contacts with different shades of Sinhala political opinion.
These included leftists in the NSSP, CP, SLMP and LSSP. It also included people in the
SLFP too. Sivaram also maintained links with "Jathika Chinthanaya" though I am not sure
whether they were termed as such then. The JVP and its opponents the Vikalpa
Kandayama were all friends. Sivaram himself in a recent article wrote openly about the
relationship he enjoyed at one time with Vijay, Chandrika, Dayan, Nalin de Silva, Mangala
Moonesinghe, Tilak Karunaratne etc.
There were also contacts with the CWC breakaway Periyasamy Chandrasekharan. Today
Chandrasekharan and his Up - Country Peoples Front are firmly in the tiger camp. But this
was not so fifteen years ago. In 1989 Chandrasekharan and his men contested as PLOTE
nominees in the Parliamentary elections. Just as water finds its own level the ultimate
refuge of Tamil nationalists too became the LTTE. This was true of both Tamil Nadu and
Sri Lanka. Sivaram himself at a later stage moved into the tiger camp.
The Indo - Tiger war and its fall - out saw Umamaheswaran and the PLOTE adopt a
controversial stance. Sivaram was greatly influential in the PLOTE taking up this position.
Unlike the TULF or groups like the EPRLF, ENDLF, TELO, EPRLF etc the PLOTE did not
support the Indian army. It did not maintain an overtly neutral position like the EROS while
keeping covert links. The PLOTE took up a public position that was sympathetic to a great
extent towards the LTTE. The PLOTE did not explicitly support the tigers because of one
factor.
The PLOTE was not sure of how the LTTE regarded its stance. During this period the
PLOTE tried in many different ways to bury the hatchet with the tigers. Several channels
were used to contact the tigers. Sivaram was an ardent proponent of this line and tried
very hard to woo the tigers. In his case admiration and a desire to align with the LTTE was
deep - rooted. The LTTE simply rebuffed and rejected all PLOTE overtures. It refused
even the logistical help offered by the PLOTE when the tigers were beleaguered in the
Wanni. Despite this several PLOTE cadres helped the tigers individually in a critical
juncture.
The LTTE however repaid the PLOTE in typical fashion when tables were turned in its
favour. President Ranasinghes disastrous Honeymoon with the LTTE saw the Sri Lankan
state providing overt and covert logistical support to the tigers in fighting the Indian army.
When the phased out Indian army withdrawal commenced the LTTE started attacking the
pro - Indian groups. Tragically for the PLOTE they too were attacked by the tigers despite
their favourable stance. The tigers were air - dropped by Sri Lankan helicopters to attack
the PLOTE camps.. PLOTE stalwart "Sangili" Kandasamy responsible for most PLOTE
internal killings in Tanjore district was killed in Periyadammanai. Manickam Thasan barely
escaped in Chettikulam.
PLOTE attempts to contest elections in Nuwara = Eliya and Jaffna using the pro - tiger card
also failed miserably. The EROS centered independent list dominated the political space
which the PLOTE hoped to utilise. The Up Country voters also rejected the PLOTE. The
negative image caused by its internal killings and perceived inertia in promoting the armed
struggle affected it badly. The PLOTE was derisively referred to as "Sothu (rice) parcel"
by the people. Despite its numerical superiority the PLOTE was practically washed out.
After Umamaheswarans death there was mass scale desertion from the rank and file. Most
cadres started going abroad. Sivaram too was dejected. His name much against his will
was on the PLOTE list contesting Jaffna. In spite of being the grandson of a former State
Councilor Sivaram hated electoral politics. He spent the 89 campaign in Nuwara eliya
instead of canvassing in Jaffna for himself. Needless to say the PLOTE suffered an
ignominious defeat in an election that was not conducted fairly.
Sivaram was still the secretary of the PLOTE political party the Democratic Peoples
Liberation Front. The DPLF president Siddharthan now succeeded Uma as PLOTE leader.
The PLOTE military commander Manickam Thasan wanted to fill Umamaheswarans shoes.
Sivaram was in the forefront of those who opposed Thasan and was greatly instrumental in
Siddharthans success.
Thasan hated Sivaram after that and began to poison the minds of remaining PLOTE
cadres against Sivara. Apart from unearthing the old Ailan - Selvan murder charge
insinuations were made that Sivaram was a RAW stooge and had betrayed the Maldives
affair to India and was also involved in the Umamaheswaran assassination conspiracy.
In this changing scenario Sivaram was feeling increasingly isolated within the PLOTE
though his friendship with Siddharthan remained intact. Siva felt that there was no big
future for the PLOTE in politics. His attempt to hitch the PLOTE wagon to the LTTE star
had failed due to tiger refusal. Siva had also begun dabbling in a little bit of journalism by
assisting Richard de Zoysa of Inter - Press Service. The time was now ripe for a shift from
politics to journalism. When the opportunity presented itself in the form of "The Island"
Sivaram was quick to grasp it. And so came the journalistic avatar "Taraki".
[Sunday Leader]
Pen - 1
From May 8, 2005
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